Dutch, 1562–1638

Feast of the Gods, c. 1600

ink, wash, oil on paper

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This drawing is attributed to Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (called Cornelis van Haarlem) who studied in Haarlem under Pieter Pietersz, and then later in Antwerp under Gillis Congnet. Van Haarlem’s drawing oeuvre is very small, with only a handful of sheets solidly confirmed to be by his hand. However, several engravings were made after his drawings, providing a record of his graphic output. He focused primarily on religious and mythological subjects, and secured several major commissions in royal residences and churches, including the interior decoration of the Prinsenhof in Haarlem, a residence for the Princes of Orange. Evident in the WAG drawing, which depicts the feast of the gods, is the merging of Mannerist and classical tendencies in van Haarlem’s figural work. While the nudes still exhibit slightly elongated limbs and torsos, their musculature and poses are more aligned with a classical aesthetic.